The Bands

Beatroot have been providing top quality Ceilidh entertainment for the last fifteen years.  The current core group consists of  Fiddle (Paul Keeler), Keyboards (Ivan Garford), Double Bass (John Preston),  principal caller and sometime kitchen implement consultant (ie Percussionist!) is the fleet footed Derek Paice. The band's music is taken from various cultures, principally England, Ireland and France but also further afield. They are currently incorporating some of their own compositions as well, and have produced a mini CD for 2008 featuring Guitar and Clarinet, exploring ever new directions...

Katie’s Quartet have been playing for ceilidhs and barn dances, parties and weddings, clubs and festivals for many years.   As well as working over the whole of East Anglia, the band has also performed up and down the country from Cornwall to Lancashire. Much of the band’s material come from the traditional players of Suffolk and Norfolk, but tunes from Quebec and even Australia are also part of the current repertoire.

 The band’s style is lively and ultimately danceable, with spiky cello and banjo rhythms overlaid by the distinctive and high-energy sounds of the single row melodeon and mouthorgan. 

The recent revival of interest in old Norfolk tunes spawned a Session  at the 'Nelson' in Norwich led by Chris Holderness in 2004. He had to drop out but the evening continued and itself spawned an early Beginners' Hour'.  This has developed through several moves, but with a regular nucleus, into a  band that has taken over the whole evening there, and now plays for Harvest Suppers, Posh Teas, Bar Mitzvas and Dances. Norfolk tunes (whatever that may mean) still form the bulk of their repertoire though, and a few local songs have crept in too.

Please note that the Tuesday Session featuring your very own local tune band Shufflewing has moved to Micawber's Tavern in Pottergate (bottom of Willow Lane / Cow Hill). We start around 8.30 but that hasn't quite settled down to a routine yet as we've only done one (trial) evening so far.